The Christmas Memory
by Party-Shoes16
Summary: Christmas is a time filled with many warm memories of celebrating with friends and family, but for one, Lisa Atwood,what do they really mean?
1. Chapter 1

The Christmas Memory

Chapter 1:

AN: This is a saddle club twist off of a true story. Merry Christmas.

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Saddle Club.

It was almost Christmas time, and school was finally out for the holiday break. Lisa Atwood climbed into the back seat of the car unsure about weather or not she was excited about the day's shopping trip with her mother, grandmother, and younger sister, Melanie.

Lisa loved going to the mall with her best friends Stevie Lake and Carole Hanson. Sometimes they would even ride their horses Starlight, Belle, and Prancer to the beautifully decorated stores.

But Lisa knew that this time would be different. Melanie didn't like to shop. She only wanted to go to one place, the bookshop. Lisa had been taking her little sister there since she could remember, often compromising her time to shop for herself, family, and friends.

When they picked Melanie up from school she talked on and on about her Christmas party. Unlike when Lisa was in school Trotter Elementary let the children leave school at noon after their celebration.

"Brittany got an equestrian dominos game. It had pictures of horses from countries all over the world. Who in the world would want that. That was such a stupid gift."

"That sounds like a nice gift," Mrs. Atwood said.

Lisa thought so too. She could just see herself in the hayloft of the barn with Stevie and Carole playing with the game.

"But who would want it?" Melanie insisted.

"Well anyone," said Granny Atwood. "It is a regular dominos game like was popular when I was young. They've just decided to dress it up a bit."

She handed Melanie a crisp bill to spend at the mall. Melanie quickly pocketed it without another thought.

When the four of the arrived at the mall, Melanie announced the she and Lisa were going to the bookshop first.

"No, we're going to eat first. You can go to the bookshop next," said Granny Atwood.

"I don't want to go shopping," Melanie whined.

"We aren't going shopping. We're going to eat," Granny Atwood replied firmly.

"What do you want to eat, Melanie?" Lisa asked trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't know," Melanie mumbled as she rubbed her tearing eyes.

"Do you want a cheese pizza?" Mrs. Atwood asked knowing that was one of the few things that her daughter would eat.

"Yes," said Melanie.

Granny Atwood and Mrs. Atwood shared a salad. Lisa had pasta. She wasn't even half way through her meal before Melanie shouted, "I think we should split up. Lisa and I will go to the bookshop, and you two can do whatever it is you like to do."

"Are you ready to go to the bookshop now?" Mrs. Atwood asked while giving Lisa a look.

"Yeah!" yelled Melanie, and that was that.

"Do you have any money?" Mrs. Atwood asked.

"I don't know," Lisa replied.

She watched as her mother dug in her purse. She handed Lisa some money.

Lisa took it reluctantly. She wished her mother wouldn't do this. Melanie always assumed that the money was for her, and it was starting to become a predictable habit with her.


	2. Chapter 2

The Christmas Memory

Chapter 2:

Lisa followed Melanie around in the bookshop as they looked at the prices on all the movies. They used to have so much fun reading books together, but lately that had changed dramatically.

"I want this," Melanie had said as soon as they had stepped into the bookshop.

Armed with the memories of previous visits to the mall, Lisa agreed that the movie Melanie was holding looked like a great thing to get with the money Granny Atwood had given her. Sweetly, she suggested that Melanie look around a little bit to see if there was something else she would rather have. Knowing from past experience that this was usually what would happen.

Melanie's face fell, and tears began to form in her eyes. "I really want this," she sobbed. "Why can't I get it?"

"You can, Melanie. I'm just telling you that there might be something else that you might rather have."

Melanie walked over to the other side of the movie area, completely ignoring Lisa.

"This like it might be good," she said handing it to Lisa. "Here, hold this."

"Now, Melanie, let's not carry everything around in the store." 

"I'm not. I just want to compare," said Melanie.

She ran over to another shelf, and picked up some Scooby Doo DVDs.

"I like these," Melanie said. "I'll get these."

Lisa looked at the movies. She knew that there wasn't enough to get all of them.

"Melanie, these are too expensive. Maybe you would like to get just one, and then you would have some money left over for the book that you've been wanting."

"No," said Melanie. "I want this."

Lisa sighed. Melanie had no interest in looking at books anymore it seemed like. She just wanted to buy some movies, and then she was ready to go home. She didn't care about what anyone else wanted to do. This was getting to be rather consistent, and Lisa didn't know if she really wanted to continue taking her little sister to the bookshop anymore.

"There isn't enough money to get all of them," Lisa told her.

"What if I just get these three?" asked Melanie.

Lisa wondered if Melanie was feeling ok. Each time the two came to the bookshop, Lisa had always worked with Melanie about how many items she could buy with the money she had, where to find the price tag, and how to figure in tax. However, today Melanie acted like she had ever learned this.

Lisa helped Melanie pick out the ones that Melanie wanted the most that she could afford. Then Melanie was ready to make her purchase. She handed the salesperson the money and the movies.

"The price is $38.50," said the lady.

Lisa felt numb. She knew Melanie would think that the money her mother handed her was for her. What was she to do?

"Would you like to maybe get only one?" the salesperson asked as she watched Lisa dig out some more cash.

"No," Melanie began to cry.

Lisa felt like a horrible person. She barley had enough money to get Christmas gifts for Carole and Stevie, but her mother and Granny Atwood had always let Melanie get more than one.

"I really want it," Melanie would always cry. Melanie always got what she wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

The Christmas Memory

Chapter 3:

"We'll take both of them," Lisa said as she reluctantly forked over the money to the salesperson.

Here she was again in this lose-lose situation. Lisa hoped her mother wouldn't be upset that the money was already gone, but on the other hand they would be upset with her if she hadn't let Melanie spend it.

"Now that's it. No more money," Lisa said.

"You have more you can give me," Melanie retorted.

Lisa tried again. "Would you like to go read some books, now?" It was more a suggestion than a question, but Lisa was trying hard to remain happy. After all, she never got to get stuff before Christmas like Melanie.

"No," Melanie snapped quickly. "I want to go home."

"We can't go home," Lisa calmly tried to explain. "There is no one there, and besides, we just got here."

"I want to go home," Melanie repeated.

"Melanie, you can't go home. There is no one there. You would be all by yourself." Lisa then decided to try another angle. "Listen, I need to find something for my friends. You know them, Stevie and Carole."

Melanie stomped off. She found a book she was interested in, and sat down in one of the reading chairs. Relieved and getting somewhat tiresome of Melanie's little attitude problem, Lisa kept a close watch on her sister while she looked for her friends' gifts.

She found a great book for Stevie about different ways to fix a horse's main. It came with a number of brightly colored ribbons to use and practice with.

For Carole, Lisa chose a book on racehorses. She thought it very fitting for the rider. After all, Carole had talked about resuming her career as an exercise rider.

Lisa then noticed that Melanie had stopped reading books, and was now just sitting there.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked.

"I want to go hone," Melanie wined.

"There's no one there. Mom and Granny Atwood are still shopping."

"I think they want to go home now," Melanie said.

Lisa knew this wasn't true. Melanie had just said that because she was ready to go home.

Lisa though a moment before coming up with what she thought was a good idea. "Would you like for me to pick out some Christmas books for you to read?" she asked brightly.

"Sure," Melanie barley even mumbled.

Lisa walked over to a stand filled with lots of Christmas stories. She chose a few that she thought Melanie would enjoy. She walked back over to where her sister was seated.

"Which book would you like to read first?"

Melanie didn't bother answering her. She just took a book and opened its pages. Taking the empty seat next to her, Lisa chose one for herself to read. They both sat in the comfy reading chairs, and read their books silently.


	4. Chapter 4

The Christmas Memory

Chapter 4:

After each one was finished reading, they switched books.

Later, Granny Atwood and their mother came to check on them.

"How are we doing here," Granny Atwood asked.

Melanie didn't answer or even looked up. Lisa just smiled at them without a reply.

"What did you get," Mrs. Atwood asked her youngest daughter when she noticed the bag beside the chair.

Melanie showed them, "…but there's something else that I want to show you," Melanie exclaimed quickly jumping up. "It's something I really want."

Granny Atwood and their mother followed her. No one but Lisa noticed the bag of newly purchased movies that was left behind. Lisa picked them up as she too followed Melanie.

Melanie stood in front of her mother and grandmother smiling proudly as she showed them another collection of movies that she so dearly wanted. They were more expensive than what she had already bought that day, but Granny Atwood decided that because she had been such a good girl that she should have them.

They once again paid for the movies, then left the bookshop and the mall. Lisa didn't say anything for the entire ride home.

"What did you get?" Mrs. Atwood asked Lisa.

Lisa excitedly showed her mother the gifts she had so carefully chosen for her two best friends, explaining in detail how they perfectly fit each girl.

"Why didn't I get one," Melanie wined seeing the gifts.

"These are Christmas gifts for my friends, Stevie and Carole," Lisa told her sister.

"See, you had plenty of money left. I still should have got one," Melanie yelled at her older sister.

Lisa didn't know what to say. She made it a rule to be a sweet as possible to her little sister because whenever she tried to discipline her, she was corrected. Lisa had a good idea that this could be why Melanie had no respect for her authority at all.

She always felt like the bad guy, and knew that to think that things could ever change was completely pointless.

When Lisa was alone with her mother that night she tried to talk to her about how she felt, but with no sager.

"Melanie is little. She doesn't understand," cooed Mrs. Atwood.

Lisa didn't say anymore after that. Instead, she wrote down her awful and crushed feelings down in her diary that evening as the flickering shadows of the melted candle stick echoed her failing mood.


End file.
